Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Decked in Olive Fall Attire: Tweed & Leather


This week has seemed to drag on & on, despite being busy. Thankfully Wednesday has arrived! I pulled this suit out of my archive. It’s classic wool, olive-colored, tweed and in my opinion, timeless. It is perfect for fall temperatures, and layers well with my leather olive blazer.
I added a scarf for additional warmth - the bow for fun ;)

 




What I wore:
  Sunnies: Betsey Johnson
  Leather blazer: Chadwick’s
  Wool suit: Kasper
  Scarf: Art fair
  Tights: Hue
  Shoes: Bandolino
  Handbag: Coach

 
Don't forget to enter the #PlusSizeGiveaway !!!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Windy Day At Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

I could not have been more pleased with the fall-like temps that visited LA last week. Like a kid in the candy store, I happily rummaged through my cool weather stashes. I transitioned this sleeveless dress from summer to fall with a nice leather topper.

Since then, summer temps have returned, and at present we are nearing 90 degrees Fahrenheit.... 
What a difference a day makes!
What I Wore
Earrings: Vera Wang
Pearls: Vintage, thrifted
Leather Jacket: Nordstrom's
Dress: Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique
Ring: Gifted
Handbag: Dooney & Bourke
Boots: Guess

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

ANNOUNCING: PLUS SIZE GIVEAWAY! Your Chance to Win a VISA Gift Card!

I am thrilled to announce that I along with eight other fabulous bloggers and Curvy Market are hosting a 
#PlusSizeGiveAway!!!!



THE SCOOP:

OUR GIVEAWAY - Runs Oct 15th - Oct 30th. Giveaway closes at 11:59PM EST on Oct 30th.

PRIZES - Two $250 VISA Gift Cards . Prizes will be awarded in USD (United States Dollars)

OPEN TO - US & International readers with a valid mailing address.

WINNERS - Two winners will be chosen at random and contacted via email by kirstinmarie.com within 48 hours of contest closing. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize and respond with valid mailing address. If winner does not claim prize within allotted time (48 hours), the prize will be forfeited, and a new winner will be selected.


HOW TO ENTER - It's simple! Join this blog as a follower! 




Extra chances to enter to win- (after you've joined this site) :

Please be sure to check out my FABULOUS Collaborators and discover more ways to enter!!!

Kirstin Marie - http://www.kirstinmarie.com/

Ciaa - http://www.mycurvesandcurls.com/

Kelly - http://www.masquemag.com/

Emmie - http://authenticallyemmie.com/

Jo - http://icurvyworld.com/

Chastity - http://garnerstyle.blogspot.com/

Sarah - http://ravingsbyrae.com/

Margaret - http://getfiercestyle.com/

Curvy Market - http://www.curvymarket.com/



TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND USE OUR HASHTAG:
 #PlusSizeGiveaway 

Monday, October 14, 2013

Los Angeles Fashion Week Haute Curves Fashion Show

I attended an LAFW Fashion Show hosted by Elite Curves International / “Haute Curves” on Saturday, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  It was my first time attending a REAL-LIVE Fashion Show, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I figured it would be a good opportunity to support the community and network – and that it was!  A gal pal from my hometown (Detroit) attended with me (a fabulous Freelance M/U Artist for MAC, by the way). We arrived promptly and were able to get some nice shots before the venue filled up. A portion of the proceeds went to The City of Hope, for breast cancer research.
Quite fittingly, the “red carpet” was PINK!

One of the designers that helped to sponsor the event shared her touching story of being a breast cancer survivor. It was a great reminder: Tomorrow is not promised. Focus on what really matters.

Although there were quite a few designers, it was hard for me to get good shots in the dark. Here’s a pretty good shot of one of my favorites.
I loved her hair!

When the show ended there was more mingling, photos, and an after party. All in all, it was a very memorable experience!!

What I Wore:
Dress – Free People
Clutch- Vintage
Shoes- Kenneth Cole

Friday, October 11, 2013

It Never Rains in Southern California

But it rained on the day I took these photos! I'm not complaining, just explaining =)
I can count the number of times it has rained since we moved to the west coast. It's a far cry from my home, Detroit, MI - where rain seems to dominate every season. Although not previously fond of rain, I must say that now I find it quite refreshing.

Blazer: Ralph Lauren
Necklace: Precious stones
Silk blouse: Rena Rowan
Sweater dress: Lord & Taylor
Tights: Nordstrom
Booties: MIA
Umbrella: Betsey Johnson
Handbag: Coach

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Color Blocking with Shades of Melon


 I was in the mood for color blocking, so I paired melon shades together, and headed to the office. The top is one of my peplum favorites, but I decided to tuck it in this go round. You have to love the versatility of peplum! How do you color block? I don't necessarily follow a specific method, I play with colors until I create what looks right to me.

Earrings: Precious Stone (Thrifted)
Necklace: Precious Stone (TJMaxx)
Top: Bar III (Macy's)
Belt: Nordstrom Rack
Skirt: Vintage (Thrifted)
Sandals: Giani Bernini
Handbag: Classic Coach, throwback

Monday, October 7, 2013

Business As Usual

Well it's Monday. I had an AMAZING weekend, I received a beautiful gift that I will treasure for many years to come.
{Contains immense excitement}  
I repeat: "Well it's Monday"- back to the grind...
Here's a fit worn to the office. The jacket caught my eye at the thrift shop, but I wasn't sure how to pair it with my existing pieces. I nabbed it anyway and decided to pair it with a sheath dress that's a similar hue of blue.



Jacket: Thrifted (Evan Picone)
Dress: Lord & Taylor (Kate Hill)
Shoes: Nine West
Handbag: Dooney & Bourke
 

Friday, October 4, 2013

A Big Announcement on a Peak with a View

It has been a busy week my friends, how about for you? Happily I am getting things accomplished on my "To Do" list, which means I get to cross them off! And you know what? It feels fantastic! 

Moving on...

Exciting news: I am hosting a week of giveaways just for you, my fabulous readers!
What that means: Freebies
When: Random giveaways during October 8th - October 15th 
My fellow vintage lovers may be particularly interested in some of the items that will be offered. 

Stay tuned to my Instagram account for details!

If that doesn't tickle your fancy, check this out:

Bigger news: I am participating in a group giveaway beginning Tuesday, October 15th! 
What that means: A $500 gift card is up for grabs!
When: Starting Tuesday, October 15th!

Follow me here (simply click the "join this site button" on the right hand side of this page - browser view), or on my FB page/ Twitter/ Tumblr/ Instagram for details! International participation is encouraged and welcome!






As you can see, the wind was blowing like crazy. It was hard to get a shot with my hair off my face, but the views made it worthwhile.







What I wore:
Earrings: Macy's
Chambray shirt: F21
Belt: Banana Republic
Bracelets: Indiska (Stockholm)
Ring: Thrifted
Skirt: BCBGMaxAzria
Booties: Steve Madden

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Why I Started Blogging; Got My Peplum & Skinnies On

I feel retrospective today. 
Let's talk blogging. I thought about starting a fashion/style blog for a few years. It took me some time to decide to actually do it because I tend to procrastinate...I also rationalized: There are already a number of EXCELLENT curvy fashion bloggers (who I consistently follow), how will my blog be any different? Finally though, with much encouragement from my husband and close friends, I decided to take the plunge. Why?
In my opinion, there aren't nearly enough images/resources of/for real sized, real life women flooding social media. If the average woman is considered to be plus size, why don't at least 50% of the images of women on social media and the net reflect that? 
I love to find inspiration in the styles of other women, but I noticed that when surfing Pinterest, FB, IG, and fashion blogs- most women, although stylish, did not look like me, which led me to feel uninspired. 
It is my hope that one day, when I look for images of style inspiration, the majority of images found, will be real sized, real life women. Being curvy is nothing to be ashamed of. Let's show the world, the media, and our peers: WE ARE HERE TO STAY!










What I wore:
Sunnies: Vintage, thrifted
Earrings: L/A Fashion District
Peplum Top: F21
Skinny Jeans: Not Your Daughter's Jeans
Shoes: Bandolino
Handbag: Coach (classic throwback, 90's)